Residents Evacuated From Oil Spill Allowed To Return

Crews cleaning up the oil spill in the Mayflower neighborhood on Sunday.

Credit Michael Hibblen/ KUAR

Officials say some residents whose houses were evacuated when an oil pipeline ruptured in Mayflower can go home this week.

Federal on-scene coordinator Nick Brescia says residents of four homes could be allowed back Thursday, while residents of another eight or nine homes can return in the coming days.

Crews are still cleaning up the scene with heavy equipment.

The pipeline ruptured nearly two weeks ago, sending hundreds of thousands of gallons of raw crude flowing down a street in what was described by residents as a "river of oil."

Meanwhile officials with Central Arkansas Water were to meet Thursday to discuss asking ExxonMobil to move the Pegasus pipeline away from an area that drains into the region’s source of drinking water.